Embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein relate to methods of protecting a component of a turbomachine from liquid droplets erosion, components of turbomachines protected according to such methods and turbomachines comprising such components.
In the field of turbomachines for oil & gas applications, two types of erosions affect the parts that get in contact with the flowing working fluid that is processed by the machine: solid particles erosion, in short SPE, and liquid droplets erosion, in short LDE. These two types of erosions are very different due to the different consistency of the elements hitting on the surfaces of such parts: hard bodies that erode the surface and bounce away after collision and soft bodies that hammer the surface and break into smaller soft bodies after collision.
An erosion-protected part may be entirely made of a single material resistant to erosion or, more frequently, may consists of a body made of a material specifically adapted to the function of the part covered with a protective layer made of a material resistant to erosion.
Typically, in order to protect against solid particles erosion hard materials are used while in order to protect against liquid droplets erosion tough materials are used.
Very hard materials do not provide good results in case of hitting liquid droplets due to the fact that typically they are not tough enough to resist to hammering.
Due to the increased performances requested in the field of turbomachines for oil & gas applications, there is always a need for improved solutions, including solutions to the problem of erosion. Embodiments of the present invention deal with liquid droplets erosion.